On January 8, 2024, the U.S. Supreme Court declined hear a challenge to corporal punishment in schools as brought forth in the case of an 11-year-old Louisiana girl with nonverbal autism whose parents alleged that she was slapped on her hands three different times by school staff. Lower courts threw…
The federal process for approving state waiver requests to exceed a 1% cap on the number of students with significant cognitive disabilities who take alternate assessments is "generally appropriate" according to an Office of Inspector General (OIG) report. The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), however, has room…
As the winter break has ended and students and staff have returned to school, a number of schools went on heightened alert as respiratory illnesses increased in their communities. According to K-12 Dive, while some communities are currently experiencing a rise in respiratory illnesses, the trend doesn’t seem to compare…
States and school districts are taking steps to ensure that “informal removals,” in which school days are shortened to address behavior issues for students with disabilities, do not violate civil and educational rights. In 2022, the U.S. Education Department (USDE) released guidance regarding "shortened days" that avers they are subject…
According to an Education Week article, educators should expect debates over school choice, teacher pay measures, artificial intelligence, and standardized testing in state legislatures and on Capitol Hill in 2024. Politicians and lawmakers used 2023 to set the course for 2024, a presidential election year when voters will most likely…
The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) has set a new timeline for the release of both of its final Title IX rules revisions, The release is now expected to occur by March 2024, which 10 months later than its original goal of a May 2023 release. The USDE's two related,…
At a December 7, 2023 gathering hosted by The Aspen Economic Strategy Group, a diverse bipartisan group of distinguished leaders and thinkers promoting evidence-based solutions to significant U.S. economic challenges, panelists reported that high-dosage tutoring has the potential to close learning gaps created by the COVID-19 pandemic. It was also…
It has been four decades since there has been a major update to the regulations for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Last year, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it looking at the rules and a proposed rule revision was originally scheduled to be published in…
The U.S. Department of Education (USDE) has set a new timeline for the release of both of its final Title IX rules revisions, The release is now expected to occur by March 2024, which 10 months later than its original goal of a May 2023 release. The USDE's two related,…
In response to a GAO report released on December 6, 2023, the US Department of Education (USDE) “will be taking expeditious steps” to update its family engagement guidance. The report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) says current federal family engagement guidance is outdated and confusing. The GAO, known…
